Fat-cutter



PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904.

I o. BURNETT.

FAT CUTTER.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 14, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

m: mams wrrms co. FKDTOL ITBO WASNM-IG o c UNITED STATES Patented January 5, 1904.

CHARLES BURNETT, OF'SHREVE, OHIO.

FAT-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 748,841, dated January 5, 1904.

Application filed August 14, 1903. Serial No. 169.652. No model To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BURNETT, a citizen of' the United States, residing at Shreve, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Fat- Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fat-cutters. Its object is to provide improved means for cutting up the fatty parts of animals preparatory to rendering the lard and tallow therefrom.

My invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. It is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a fat-cutter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross-section of the same on the line XX. Fig. 3 is a detail of the removable end-gate detached; Fig. 4 is a detail of the same inverted and with central cutters removed.

A designates the box of my improved machine, the interior mechanism being shown by the dotted lines therein. It is made, preferably, rectangular and may be secured to any desired support in any of the common well-known ways.

B is a hopper through which the fatty substances are fed into the box.

D is a plunger made up of vertical and horizontal parts united by an angle at or near the top. It is slidably mounted within the box, preferably by means of matched tongue and groove 1: along its horizontal edges, and is actuated horizontally back and forth by a suitable lever E, which is fulcrumed on the support 1' at the rear end of the box. To add power to the leverage aforesaid, I arrange the short arm of the lever h to coact with an intermediate bar g, pivoted thereto and to a support under the angle of the plunger in such a manner as to form a toggle-joint between them, as showu, Fig. 2, the power being thus exerted in the direction of the angle of the plunger, whereby the upper horizontal cutters hereinafter mentioned are brought together and pass with the least fricto which they are adjusted to operate as shears in separating the portion fed into the box from the mass remaining in the hopper.

G is an end-gate for the box. It is removably secured thereto by means of side fastenings or clasps s, which are fitted to engage the same by the notched ears 9. Any other suitable fastenings may be substituted as may be preferred. The end-gate is adapted to a graduated vertical adjustment by means of slotted cars a a, arranged to engage corresponding ears b, which project from the upper part of the box, and a threaded bolt 0, actuated therein uniting the same. For convenience in adjusting the end-gate the head of said bolt is set in a slot t of the lower ear, and the bolt is threaded into the upper ear aforesaid, whereby the turning of the bolt in either direction serves to graduate the adjustment of said horizontal cutters to each other at either or both ends thereof, as may be desired. For convenience and to facilitate the removal of the end-gate I also make the hole for the lower end of said'bolt open on the side adjacent to the box, thereby holding the same as in a groove 0, Figs. 3 and 4, whereby the end gate may be detached from said adjusting-bolts freely when the clamps s are disengaged. To adapt the end cutters it it to be readily detached for sharpening, I provide said cutters with suitable notches m, Fig. 2, at their intersection and fit the ends thereof to enter corresponding notches n n in the respective margins of the gate-frame and in the under side of the upper horizontal cutter and support f f, as shown, Fig. 2.

The operation is as follows: Fatty portions as cut from an animal are fed into the box through the hopper, and thereupon the lever E being actuated rearwardly the plunger D is driven forward, the horizontal cutters ff operating against each other sever the portion in the box from the mass in the hopper, and the toggle-joint leverage acquired forces the plunger to press the severed portion against the crossed end gate cutters 70 70, whereby the same is cut into small uniform pieces of the shape and size of the several apertures between said cutters. The graduated adjustment of thecutterf to the cutter f by means of the threaded bolts 0 facilitates their operation and setting.

I am aware that it is not new to use a plunger in connection with a series of end cutters arranged transversly in an end-gate, and such I do not claim broadly; but,

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fat-cutter, the combination with a box and ahopper leading thereto, a plunger mounted to slide in said box, means for actuating said plunger; of a horizontal cutter set at and along the upper and outerangle of said plunger; an end gate removably secured across the end of said box in front of said plunger; a horizontal cutter set at and along the upper bar of said end-gate and fitted to coact with said plunger-cutter, means for adjusting relatively the gate-cutter and the plunger-cutter; and a series of end cutters arranged to cross each other, removably fitted in said gate, substantial1y as set forth.

2. In a fat-cutter, the combination with a box having a hopper leading thereto, and a plunger fitted to slide therein, means for actuating said plunger back and forth, a horizontal cutter arranged along and upon the upper front angle of said plunger; of an end-gate removably secured across the open end of said box opposite to said plunger; a horizontal cutter mounted upon and along the upper bar of said end-gate in a plane with said plunger-cutter; open slotted ears projecting from said end-gate at or near its top to coact with ears projecting from the upper part of said box; bolts detachably connected with said slotted ears and threaded into said coacting ears to graduate the vertical adjustment of said end-gate cutter in reference to said plunger-cuttersaid end-gate further provided with a series of cutters removably secured therein and arranged to cross each other, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I hereto set my hand.

CHARLES BURNETT.

In presence of EVA MCANANEY, JOHN C. MCCLARAN. 

